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The Cherokee Nation requested an injunction Tuesday to block the U.S. Department of the Interior from placing land into trust where the United Keetoowah Band of Cherokee Indians has operated a casino, according to a Cherokee Nation spokeswoman.

MUSKOGEE -- The Cherokee Nation requested an injunction Tuesday to block the U.S. Department of the Interior from placing land into trust where the United Keetoowah Band of Cherokee Indians has operated a casino, according to a Cherokee Nation spokeswoman.

The motion for an injunction comes ahead of a deadline the UKB must meet to continue gaming operations at its Tahlequah casino.

"The UKB has been operating an illegal gaming facility on 2.03 acres located in Tahlequah, the capital city of the Cherokee Nation, for more than 18 years," according to a Cherokee Nation statement.